World of Good, Inc. was founded on the principle that business could be used to create a positive social impact. To that end, we have built our business practices around the model of using commerce to alleviate poverty by empowering women in developing countries. Through our business model, we believe World of Good, Inc. impacts every level of the supply chain, leading, ultimately to a global shift in the way we think about and interact with consumer goods and services.
Here are the major areas where we aim to create significant impact – every single day. Read our 2007 Social Impact Report to learn more
Producers Small, disadvantaged producers in developing countries make up nearly 80% of the workforce in the informal economy – that part of the economy with no regulation or oversight – which means no protection from exploitation. Within this workforce, most of the laborers are women, women fighting to create a better future for their children – a future that includes education and access to healthcare. World of Good, Inc. works to open channels of distribution for these women to gain access to the US consumer market so they can begin to build stable and sustainable lives for themselves and their families. Since beginning in 2004, World of Good, Inc. has worked with more than 6,000 artisans in 34 countries and awarded more than 20 community development grants through our non-profit organization. As World of Good, Inc. continues to open markets and channels of distribution we will be able to work with an increasing number of producers and as more and more consumers demand products made in an ethical way, producers around the world will benefit.
Consumers Consumers in the United States spend billions of dollars each year on products that are integrated into their daily lives. At World of Good, Inc. we’re building a business that asks consumers to think about the people and materials behind the products they buy. Do you know how many hands touched the last purchase you made? When we begin to frame our purchases around the idea that another human being made it, we demand to know if they were treated fairly – many times they are not. Did you know that the global market for knock-offs has exceeded more than $600 billion annually? That sounds like a healthy consumer economy until we learn that most of the knock-offs are made under sweatshop conditions and often with children as the laborers. At World of Good, Inc. we believe part of our job is to provide you with information so you can make a conscious and aware choice. Thanks to your growing demand for products made in an ethical way, consumers in the US have purchased more than one million fair trade handcrafts from World of Good since 2004.
Industry World of Good, Inc. is trying to change the way the world does business. As a for profit company that treats everyone along the supply chain with dignity and respect we aim to show other companies that it is possible to balance the bottom line with a social mission. By opening new channels of distribution we’re not only building a market we’re also helping to grow consumer demand by placing ethically sourced product choices in shopping channels where consumers are every day. Our wholesale program makes it easy for retailers to offer their customers these choices and our educational marketing style puts information directly into the hands of consumers. Our sister non-profit organization, the World of Good Development Organization is working within the global fair trade industry to strengthen international wage standards to protect both producers and buyers alike. The Development Organization has built a revolutionary, free, web-based tool called the Fair Wage Guide that allows a producer or buyer anywhere in the world to calculate a fair price for their product. This tool aims to restore bargaining power in the hands of the producers so that large companies will ultimately have to change their sourcing practices and pay producers fairly. World of Good, Inc.’s latest partnership with eBay: www.WorldofGood.com – an eBay Marketplace, is going to be the world’s largest online shopping destination for people and planet positive products making it easy for consumers to find everything they need to support a lifestyle that honors the people behind our products.
A Good Beginning In 2007 World of Good worked with 142 artisan groups in 34 countries. Read our 2007 Social Impact Report and learn more about how World of Good is changing the lives of our artisan partners by providing regular income, improving their working conditions and increasing the quality of life for their families. You will also learn more about the individual economic development projects we have funded and read testimonials direct from the artisans about the impact World of Good is having in their communities.